YuGiOh! 5Ds Five Dragons
by Bahamut-255
Summary: AU. A different World. Where Zero Reverse was a far more violent, and Global Disaster, with far greater repercussions. Where life is rather harsher for some. And better for a very few others. Where the Signers will be forced to stand against the Jibakushin in a far more...direct manner. What will this mean for everyone concerned? Rated M for language, and future scenes.
1. Riding Duel! Acceleration!

**Yu-Gi-Oh! Five Dragons**

**AU. A different World. Where Zero Reverse was a far more violent, and Global Disaster, with far greater repercussions. Where life is rather harsher for some. And better for a very few others. Where the Signers will be forced to stand against the Jibakushin in a far more...direct manner. What will this mean for everyone concerned? **

* * *

_Zero Reverse. The eleventh day of the month of February. In the two-thousandth, and fourteenth year AD. On the night of that day, the World, as it once was, ended. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Global Tectonic Realignment. Typhoons. Cyclones. Six days, and the Old World was undone. In it's place. A New World. Born of the ashes of the Old. Built by those survivors of that time. _

_The year is now 2231. And the people have recovered, in a manner of speaking. If the city was not one that was rebuilt, then it was one built from the ground up. Homes are secure once more. Food is plentiful, as it once was. Entertainment is abundant. None more so than the still-Global Phenomenon that is known as Duel Monsters. _

_The Game, itself, has undergone a revolution. Not only are there new forms - most notably in the form of the Psychic Type and Synchro Category. But the very manner in which the Duel is performed has evolved. Through the use of specially customised Motorcycles - known popularly as the D-Wheel - there now exists the Riding Duel. _

_Beneath the glamour. Beneath the wealth. Beneath the illusion of normalcy, however. There lay hidden dangers. Rumours of monsters lurking within the shadows, coming out at night, attacking the citizens. Tales of those with special powers that harness the Duel Monsters. Unexplained disappearances in the Deep of the Night. Sometimes Deaths. Which leaves more than a handful of the populace fearing the demons that await them if they're targeted. _

_This fear has been used by some to secure total control over the people. One such place is the rebuilt City of Neo-Domino. Once, in the distant past, it had been a thriving City, its people united. For seventeen years, it has comprised of numerous, scattered islands. Some connected to one another. Others kept severed. _

_Controlled by the Public Maintenance Bureau, which, itself, is led by Rex Godwin. Through the use of his personal security forces, and strict social structure, he maintains peace, and order in Neo-Domino, protecting the citizens from their nightmares. Through the use of Riding Duels, Ground Duels, and Tournaments, he provides entertainment and joy. Supplying Hopes, and Dreams for the people. _

_In this task, he is aided by the King of the Riding Duel. Jack Atlus. Who. In the past two years that he's become a public face, has taken the Duelling Field by storm. To date. 307 consecutive victories. 0 defeats. Adored by millions. A symbol of success. _

_For the less fortunate, however. Life is far crueller. The outer ring of islands mark where the wealth remains elusive. None more so than the most distant of them. Known as the Satellite. The place where the undesirables are banished to, where Rot and Decay are allowed to run rampant. Here, life in the main City is but a distant dream. Here, simply making it through the day is the main priority. The only access to and from, a group of underwater pipelines that sends garbage from elsewhere for recycling purposes. And the occasional boat that returns the remade goods back - in exchange for the bare essentials. _

_What none. Save a small handful of particular individuals, are aware of, is that there lies a hidden threat to this recovering world. A danger that has already begun to manipulate events from behind the scenes. For which, there resides a special few, chosen to fight this emerging menace. This Harbinger of Death. And Destruction._

* * *

"EV-ERYBODY, LISTE-N!" A thunderous roar emanating from the multitude of speakers, whether they be from the stadiums own PA system, those surrounding the city. Or simply the speakers built into the TVs and computers watched by those unable to actually be there, that night, for one reason or another.

"THIS I-S! GREAT MATCH!" A rising chorus of cheers from the many spectators, who had filled the stadium to capacity, continued for a moment, before ebbing away.

"TODAY'S TITLE MATCH! WILL HE BE ABLE TO DEFEAT THE KING'S DECK IN THE 160th TITLE MATCH!? CHALLENGER! MUKURO ENJO!"

With the declaration of the Title Challenger, Enjo Mukuro, emerged from one of the twin, opposing tunnels which led into the main Riding Duel Arena. The closest parallel that would exist for his particular design of D-Wheel would be the American Chopper. The handlebar grips set at shoulder-level, front wheel having half the area of the rear wheel. Seat and pedals set to allow a relaxed, laid-back style of riding. Monitor set below the handgrips, in the centre. With the fixed duel-disc system directly below, set in a 2-2-1 formation. His choice of attire was heavy use of black leather, set with large spikes running from the shoulders to the waist, with another pair of spikes at the knees. Finished off with leather gloves, and a helmet with the form of a skull, most closely resembling that of a bird, set on it. The stereotypical biker look. Completing the half-lap, he came to a stop at the inner start line.

"AND NOW!" From his position in the Announcer's Stand he could be seen. Dressed in a cherry-pink suit, with white-striped shirt, and orange bow-tie. The most prominent feature, however, was his insanely long, gravity-defying, jet-black pompadour, underneath which lay a long, though very thin moustache. Along with a sharply pointed Goat Beard. Known to many as the MC. "TO DEFEND HIS TITLE! THE KING OF RIDING DUELS! JA-CK! ATLU-S!"

Upon the declaration of the name. From the opposing entryway. Large plumes of thick, grey smoke billowed, obscuring the view. From this, an engine roar was heard, as the Defendant burst through, taking to the air. His D-Wheel. A Mono-Wheel design. Almost completely white in its colourations. Extended segments for the front and rear. The front forming a tapered point, with the air intakes set to its sides. The rear containing to large exhaust ports and the mounting points for the handlebars that stretched to allow their use by the rider. The left one augmented by the duel-disc fixed to it. Directly in front showed twin monitors. One set atop the other.

As for its rider. He was dressed in a form-fitting riding suit. Almost completely white, like his D-Wheel. Save for a small group of thin, blue stripes that ran along it in a few select places. A white helmet with blue visor obscured most of his head, but it could be told that he was blond by the pair of thin bangs that ran down the sides of his head, just ahead of his ears. Piercing, violet eyes, brimming with confidence, and determination. Long, white gloves that ran up to his elbows, with a studded silver metal piece set over the backs of the hands. Completing his journey through the air, his D-Wheel - to which he referred to as the 'Wheel Of Fortune' - struck the ground. Before continuing along the straight that resided between the two sides of the track, within the respective halfway points, shrugging off the impact with accomplished ease. The rider. Jack Atlus. Who, following his turn onto the track, removed his right hand from the handlebar before raising it into the air with a clenched fist, its back facing the audience.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" He began with a deep, solid voice. "I am the King!" rapturous roars flooded inwards from the countless fans in attendance. While a few rows of Cheerleaders chanted his name.

"Go Jack! Go Jack! Go! Go! Fight!" From the full dozen of them. Outfits designed to augment them in the slightest of manners.

Now at the outer starting line. His opponent. Enjo Mukuro raised a pointed finger towards him.

"King! The one who'll defeat you will be yours truly!" He stated, making clear his intent to win.

Jack's only response to that was a slight "Humph. Just try." With a slight smirk on his face. No remaining time further counter-response as the MC spoke up.

"Alright Duellists! Activate Field Magic! Speed World!" The instruction issued. They pressed a specific button on their respective D-Wheels. To which the paired response was a synthetic voice declaring:

"_Speed World set on. Autopilot, standing by_." The monitors displaying the Field Magic Card, Speed World. Removing all information irrelevant to the duel. This sequence was concluded through the production of a transparent, purple hue, emanating from the D-Wheels, until the entire stadium was enveloped within it.

"Alright! The Field Magic, Speed World has now been activated!" While the MC was busy explaining the scenario, some in attendance had their data pads out, making use of them for detailed explanations. "As of right now! The only magic cards that can be activated are Speed Spells! Exclusive to Speed World! Unlike normal magic's. Speed Spells require a set number of Speed Counters to activate! Accumulated with each passing turn! However! To a Riding Duellist! Speed IS Magic! Therefore! Their Speed becomes their Power!"

With his explanation over. A holographic countdown displayed itself. Two lights, one red and one green, on the left. To the right. Ten counters, in two rows of five, lighting up in half-second intervals.

"Riding Duel!" The MC announced during the countdown. Once all the counters were lit, the upper red light faded, as the lower green one lit.

"ACCELERATION!" Signalling the start of the Riding Duel. The two competitors, blasting off the start lines. Jack Atlus, taking the lead.

"The Challenger will make the first move!" MC announced.

**DUEL START**

**Turn 1**

**Mukuro: 4000 LP / 0 SPC - Mukuro's Turn**

**Jack: 4000 LP / 0 SPC**

"Draw!" Mukuro pulled a fresh card from the deck attached to his left forearm, adding it to his opening hand of five cards. "I discard Skull Conductor from my hand to activate its effect!" An image of the Monster Card. That of an undead being, with decayed flesh, reddish hair, somewhat hidden by a large, white hat, resembling that used by Naval Officers. And dressed in a traditional conductors suit holding the wand in its left hand appeared, before fading into Mukuro's Cemetery.

"By discarding this card from my hand to the Cemetery! I'm able to summon up to two Undead-Type Monsters who's Attack Power is equal to or less than 2000 points! I Special Summon Skull Vase and Burning Skull Head!" At this, the summoned monsters appeared, aside each other. To his left. Burning Skull Head (1000/800/3*). Exactly as the name implied, it was a human skull, that was burning. A dull, violet glow from the centres of the eye sockets. As for Skull Vase (800/600/3*). It comprised of a human skeleton, though only the arms and upper body. The skull cracked. Resting within a blue case, decorated with simple gold stylings.

"Burning Skull Head's effect activates!" Enjo Mukuro cackled out. "When its Special Summoned! 1000 points of damage is dealt to you!" True to his word. His Burning Skull Head opened its mouth. Letting loose a torrent of flame towards Jack. The nature of the Solid-State Holographic System acting to trigger a slight impulse from the resultant blow. Though he was swift to recover, if not his Life Points.

**Jack LP = (4000 - 1000) = 3000**

"A useful compensation for not being able to declare an attack on the first turn!" Stated Enjo, taking pleasure in the fact that he'd already damaged Jack's Life Points.

"Normally, by taking damage of 1000 points, Jack would lose a Speed Counter!" MC provided another explanation of another aspect of Speed World. "However! With no Speed Counters to begin with, he is unable to lose any!"

"And there's more!" Enjo continued. "For now, I release both my monsters! Skull Flame! Advance Summon!" Both his monsters became spherical, multi-coloured orbs at this command. Rising to meet each other, then merging into a single, far larger one. Which then stretched out into an oval, before splitting down the middle. Emerging from this. Enjo's latest monster. Clad in a blue robe that went to the ankles, with a smaller steel-grey one on top that replaced the frontal part with a grey-green banner piece. A red cape was included. All of which were frayed at the edges. Bone decorations were included for around the waist, in the manner of a belt. as well as for the head, forming a bone helmet, horizontal boned horns protruding from the sides. The last part of the bones were the large shoulder pads, which supported the cape. The face, being like that of a black mask, with red eyes visible, and gold mouthpiece, with smaller gold strips along the sides, rising up to the eye-level, themselves ringed in gold. To complete it. Strong flames pouring from the top of its back. This was Skull Flame (2600/2000/8*).

"When Skull Vase is released for an Advance Summon. I can draw one card from the Deck!" Enjo declared, drawing one extra card from his deck, adding it to his hand. "And now I activate Skull Flame's effect! Now I can summon as many Burning Skull Heads from my hand as I am able to!" To this, he took two cards from his hand, setting them in his Monster Card Zone. From this, two new Burning Skull Heads were summoned onto Enjo's field. "And as before! My Burning Skull Heads effects activate! Therefore you now receive 2000 points of damage!" Two fresh pillars of fire blasted their way towards Jack, striking him from opposing angles. Another waver of the Wheel Of Fortune followed, before recovery. As Jack's LP Meter displayed another substantial drop.

**Jack LP = (3000 - (1000*2)) = 1000**

"My Skull Flame has one other effect!" Enjo continued. "I can add one Burning Skull Head from my Cemetery to my hand in exchange for skipping my Draw Phase!" He saw fit to cackle again. Near-hysterically. "That means, Jack! I'll win in my next turn! Turn End!" He declared the end of his turn. And the start of Jack's.

"This is bad for The King!" MC made clear the obvious. "If he fails to win on this turn. Mukuro Enjo will take it in his next!"

'Alright.' Jack thought quietly to himself. 'I've let him have his fun for long enough. Time to end this farce.' "My Turn! Draw" Jack exclaimed.

**Turn 2**

**Mukuro: 4000 LP / 1 SPC**

**Jack: 1000 LP / 1 SPC - Jack's Turn**

"With all the monsters in play controlled by yourself! I can Special Summon Vice Dragon in Attack Mode!" Setting the monster within his Monster Card Zone, the image came to life. A short, squat, purple dragon. With a short, fanged snout. Tri-clawed hands which lacked opposable thumbs. An odd, sea-green colouring for its wing membranes, which almost appeared to be a little too large for the wings themselves. Three small horns protruded from the back of its skull, with two small spikes along each forearm. Another pair rested on the knees. With two final small spikes set at the base of its tail. "Of course! The Original Attack and Defence of Vice Dragon are halved as a result!" (ATK = (2000/2) = 1000) (DEF = (2400/2) = 1200)

"And now I Normal Summon, Tuner Monster! Dark Repairer in Attack Mode!" Jack's next monster appeared to the right of Vice Dragon. This monster carried an insectoid shape, with a humanoid head, plus very short arms and legs. But possessed six additional limbs. Far longer and no thicker than the other ones, with only two digits on those limbs. One held a hammer, another a carving knife, a third carried a long, straight blade. A black body and teal skin. With purple hair styled to both a pointed top and a wing motif. (1000/1300/3*)

"You're reward for entertaining The King!" Jack began, preparing his Signature Move. "You will be crushed by my Ace Monster! I'm Tuning my Level Five Vice Dragon with my Level Three Tuner Monster, Dark Repairer!" To his declaration of his intent, his Dark Repairer disintegrated into three green rings to which his Vice Dragon entered, five stars emerging from its fading body.

"The Ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul! Red Daemons Dragon!" During his personal Synchro Chant. The five stars had formed a single beam of green light, blasting out in both directions. From the forward point, a wall of crimson flame was created.

From within this flamed, an immense, five-clawed hand emerged. Black. With bone-white claws. Thicker forearms coloured a deep, crimson red, with a spike running back, past the elbow, almost resembling a forearm guard. The black returning for the upper arms. The right hand clenched into a tight fist, followed shortly by the left hand. Almost immediately, a silhouette of a tri-horned head could be seen. Rising on its lengthy, supple neck. Both the neck and head were of the same black as the upper arms, save for some red outlining around the eyes, mouth and top of the snout. Deep, crimson-red fanged teeth, with a blue tongue inside the mouth. Amber-gold eyes glowing. Red chevron marks running down the front of the neck. Large, crimson membrane wings, with twin spikes on each centre point, unfurled, pushing away the flames, bringing the full Majesty, and Terror into view. The chevron pattern continued down the front of the otherwise black torso, where a wide hip was located, revealing yet more spikes. Two to a side. A long, strong tail, again black, ending with a bladed edge. Black legs, with what could pass off as red armour plates running down the fronts of them. Finishing with quad-clawed feet. Three to the front. One at the back. Their shape indicating that the dragon could stand on the heels of them. The Signature Monster of The King's - Jack Atlus' - Deck.. Red Daemons Dragon. (3000/2000/8*)

"That Monster…" Enjo could only stutter out, aware that he was in a dangerous bind.

"Through Dark Repairers Effect! I draw one card, since this monster was sent to the Cemetery from my field!" Jack stated, drawing one additional card from his deck. Eyeing it, he realised he had everything he needed to win. "Activate Speed Spell! Overboost!" Sliding the face-up card into his Magic/Trap Card Zone. "This raises my Speed Counters by four for this turn! In exchange for making them become one at the End Phase!" On his Duel Monitor. Enjo's Monitor. And that of the main screen within the Stadium. His Speed Counters were shown to have climbed substantially.

**Jack SPC = (1+4) = 5**

"Now I activate, Speed Spell! Summon Speeder!" Jack declared, playing his next card. "When I have four or more Speed Counters! This allows me to Special Summon one Level Four or below monster to the Field! Come! Dark Bug!" What appeared to be an eight-limbed Tetris Block emerged. A dark, though highly reflective purple for the body. With the arachnid limbs black in colour. (100/100/1*)

"Furthermore! Since I control a Face-Up Synchro Monster! I may Special Summon Create Resonator from my hand! Appear now! Create Resonator!" His latest monster appeared. Wearing a blue, slightly frayed robe, with an orange shoulder cape and lighter blue fore-guard with a sun-yellow symbol on it. The head was obscured by a silver, winged helmet, though the red eyes and sharp teeth could still be seen. Behind it, hovered a winged fan. Silver for the main body, with a solid blue for the fan blades, and a lighter blue for the wings. (800/600/3*)

"And now I Tune my Level One Dark Bug with my Level Three Create Resonator!" the familiar synchro summon sequence played out. Three rings with a single, solitary star within it, though the summon chant itself, was far shorter, more subdued. "Synchro Summon! Weapon of Power! Arms Aid!" His next Synchro Monster made its appearance. A large, metal gauntlet appeared. The fingers, a light red colour, drifting slightly into pink. The hand was black. With the rear portion, the forearm a steel-silver in colour. The effect was completed by way of a sharply raking, but very long, pointed black helmet set to the back of the hand, with a gold visor piece that then ran up the sides. (1800/1200/4*)

"Arms Aid's effect now activates!" Jack began the final preparations for his assured victory. The look clear in his blazing violet eyes. "Once per turn, I can either equip this card onto another monster I control! Or un-equip it and special summon it in Attack Position! I equip Arms Aid to my Red Daemons Dragon!" At this command. Arms Aid's visor rose, until it was almost perpendicular to the hand. At which point, the forearm guard split open into six separate pieces. Three on top, three below. Red Daemons Dragon then extended his right arm, sliding it into the space until his own hand was within what would now be the glove. Following this, the forearm segment re-retracted itself, clasping shut over the arm of Red Daemons. Red Daemons then turned to face Enjo Mukuro, clenching his augmented fist. Snarling in a threatening manner. As if to say, "You're fucked."

"When Arms Aid is equipped onto a monster! That monster gains 1000 Attack Points!" Jack dictated the equip effect.

**Red Daemons Dragon: Attack = (3000+1000) = 4000**

"Battle! Red Daemons Dragon! Attack Skull Flame! Extreme Power Force!" a blazing sphere of pulsating, deep red and orange fire emerged from the augmented right arm of Red Daemons Dragon. Pulling back his right arm. Before charging towards Enjo's Skull Flame. Driving forwards his arm, and slamming his open, burning hand onto the monster. The attack hit Skull Flame directly, who, briefly, bounced back with the force of the blow, before being consumed by the flames of the attack. A groan of pain could be heard from Skull Flame, right before it was blown apart.

"Damn that dragon." Enjo grunted out, as he was forced to regain control of his D-Wheel, following the attack.

**Enjo Mukuro LP = ((4000-(4000-2600)) = 2600 **

**Enjo Mukuro SPC = (1-1) = 0**

"And now Arms Aid's additional effect activates!" Jack called out to Enjo, knowing the outcome already. "When the equipped monster destroys an opposing monster in battle! The destroyed monsters Attack Power is dealt to yourself as damage!" Knowing that Enjo would hate that revelation.

As predicted. Enjo Mukuro jolted back in his seat in shock. Crying out a near panicked "WHAT?" Had it not been for his dark sunglasses, the fear in his eyes would be in plain sight.

Not that Jack Atlus needed to see that to know it. Observing a spirit of the Arms Aid emerged and expand from the actual monster, and it slammed down hard on Enjo Mukuro. Signalling his final defeat.

**Enjo Mukuro LP = (2600-2600) = 0**

**Enjo Mukuro Defeated**

"And it's over! And a new chapter has just been added to the undefeated record of The King!" MC cried out to all in attendance, and viewing.

Jack's response was to simply raise his right arm into the air, the index finger pointed upwards, turning his head towards the roaring crowd. "There can only be One King! And that is me!" His instruction to all. Inwardly, he thought to himself, 'That hardly passes as a challenge. Are there no worthwhile opponents?' Thoughts, kept hidden, while he continued his Victory Lap, to the rising chorus of cheers and tributes from his many fans in attendance. Every now and again, however, his eyes drifted to focus on his right arm, flickers of fear flashing over his eyes, imperceptible to all but the sharpest of observers. Observers such as Rex Godwin. Who at this time, was standing in the central tower, having overseen the entire event.

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Satellite - Underground Rail Station**

A pale, Half-Moon shimmered from between the parting clouds. Shining its baleful light over the island. Piercing the haze and fumes, that permeated from the many, dirty factories, that even at this hour, were in operation. The sullen beam pushed through a massive rift from what used to be a road, or possibly a walkway. The state of decay made such identification, at best, extremely difficult. Through the rift, a disused underground railway, long since ceased its function. From what would be the waiting area, hanging from heavy hooks, set in the pillars and ceiling. A series of heavy grey-green drapes, designed to hide what lay within it from view.

Easily half of what would be described as its interior was occupied by a garage, of sorts. Containing a crimson D-Wheel, with white patterning set in various points. Such as the forward body, the fronts of the rear-mounted handlebars, and the top of the large, rear crescent, which held a backrest on it. A Duel-Disc system mounted just forward of the drivers seat, appearing to be built out of an elderly duel-disc. A monitor fitted in front of that. Around it, though mainly set to the walls, lay a variety of tools and equipment to service it. A variety of components for it. And a few miscellaneous items as well.

The remainder of the area was used mainly as a living area, with a huge, heavy mattress placed by the other corner wall, a number of large blankets laying on it in a scattered manner. A long, but well-worn sofa just in front of it, a cracked, though still usable, coffee table in front of that. To the very front, there was a workstation of sorts. Holding a long bench-table that served the secondary function of holding down the drapes. On top of this. Various sketches and designs could be seen, as well as a computer that was, at this time, displaying to the sole occupant of this makeshift home, a live broadcast of the Duel that had recently reached its inevitable conclusion. These two points were separated by the kitchen area. Little more than a pantry and fridge by the wall, with a free-standing cooker on the opposing side.

"King!" MC's voice carried over the speakers. "At first. It looked as if Mukuro Enjo had sealed the duel for himself. But you had the counter-strategy ready from the very beginning? Didn't you?"

Jack Atlus simply grabbed the mike from MC, striding forwards, closer to the camera, while MC carried a sullen, dejected look which could be seen.

"Had I been serious! This duel would have ended before my turn!" He moved forwards slightly, again, and turned his attention to the crowd. "The King's Duel MUST be entertaining!" He declared to all.

Any further commentary was cut off, by way of the Monitor off button. Depressed, by a white and blue, five-clawed hand. Small, soft purple orbs set on each of the knuckles. The bluish tone continued to the elbows - which held a single, rear-facing blade each - where shimmering white replaced it. Fresh purple orbs set on the shoulders and Pecs. The thin, slender torso resumed the blue, as did the back. The white returning for the upper legs, save for some blue styling on the alternate plates on them, and blue again for the lower legs and feet. Where four white claws resided, three at the front, one at the heel. The knees had soft, milky-blue guard-plates on them, which could reach the upper half of the upper legs. The long, flexible tail used blue for the upper side, whereas the underside was white. The end of the tail carried four blades, shaped almost like axes, set in an 'X' formation. Large wings, which were mostly white - save for a small portion on the upper edges, near the body - were tucked in, the membranes folded into place. Two inward-facing spikes featured on the inner half of each wing. A pattern repeated by the other pair of smaller spikes on each side of the shoulders, right next to the neck. White, for the most part, barring a few strips of blue along the sides. A row of three, rear-facing blades along its slender, supple length. To this, was attached the head. Long, most of it white. The blue reserved for a semi-oval, with oval in front, and running the forward part of the side horns, which could pass off as wing-like in the design, the semi-oval occupying the inner rear of each one. A long, thin spike running behind them, from the outer edge. The top of the head saw the final spike, that too, ran backwards. A blue design set on top, that would look a little like a cargo bay door, had it been on a manmade object. Beneath the front of that portion of blue, rested the amber-gold eyes, ringed in blue, that in turn, ran along the sides in thin strips. The mouth, beginning just underneath the eyes, and ending just a sort ways ahead, beneath which rested a few small blades. Right above the mouth, a long piece protruded, which, thanks to its bladed end, was almost a harpoon in appearance.

This dragon - for there's no other way to describe that being - rose up onto his feet, revealing the ability to stand on the heels. Lowering his head to face the monitor, and missing the five metre ceiling by just one. Opening his mouth.

"You're not enjoying these Duels anymore. Are you? Jack Atlus? Old. Friend."

* * *

**Authors Note: My first, truly serious attempt at writing a solid, epic fanfiction. I'll admit I was rather late to really begin loving the series, with 5Ds being my personal favourite. Thank you Japanese with English Subtitles! **

**Constructive Criticism is not only welcomed. I encourage it! For I know that I will need it if I am to ever to do justice to not only this story, but the series itself, and its fan base. **

**Let's hope that things are already moving in the correct direction. **

**Enjoy this please. I have every intention of continuing. **


	2. Prepare for Escape TMinus 14 Days

**Another Chapter up. And things start to get going. But not ALL in a good way. **

**Chapter Two: Prepare for Escape. T-Minus Fourteen Days.**

**Neo-Domino: Satellite - Underground Rail Station.**

Within the confines of the makeshift home, a lone figure stirred, with the first lightening of the night sky. Male, a slim, but toned build, almost completely lacking in fat. The hair an extremely unusual design, mostly laying down save for a few spikes that made it resemble crab legs. Mostly black in colour, save for some gold highlighting in the spikes. A sharp, angular face was what supported it. His sapphire-blue eyes opened, to the dim interior. Stretching himself to work out some stiffness that had built up, most likely due to the poor state of the mattress that he had slept on, clenching his fists. This was when he paused, for something was off. They felt very different from each other. Reaching over to a switch, he turned on the light, which, thankfully, was aimed both upwards and away, thereby allowing him some sight without blinding him. Once his eyes had adjusted, he noticed the reason. One was a skin-pink, the other blue with white claws. For this, he simply shut his eyes and focused mentally. A moment passed, and the hard scales on the right hand were replaced by pink skin, on a rough, calloused hand.

Sighing inwardly, noting the fact that this had not been the first instance of this occurring. Slowly raising himself into a sitting position, he could not help, but take some time to gaze at his right hand. Squeezing it shut again, and taking some deep, steadying breaths. Eventually, though, he knew he had to get up and moving. He had a lot of work to do, and time was increasingly running short. Slowly, he worked his way onto his feet, and began the task of dressing himself. With only two matching sets, it was, at least, a simple enough task deciding. Dark blue, belted jeans, which carried a pair of deck holsters, and a pair of amber gems, set over the kneecaps. A dull grey-brown pair of calf-high boots, each with another pair of amber gems, to either side of the ankles. For above the waist, there was a black vest, which had a red symbol on its front, its appearance like that of a ¾ circle with additional styling. Over that, he had a blue, long-sleeved, high collar jacket, with shoulder and elbow gems, again, amber, on top of one more pair set at the forward ends of the collar. Finally, a pair of gloves that came just short of the elbows, the same colour as his boots.

That sorted, he could now tend to another need. Today's breakfast. Leftovers. Not dissimilar to most other days. But here, in the Satellite, it was frequently the best that could be done. So while far from tasteful, it was, at the very least, able to do the task of providing nourishment for him. Still, with those essentials taken care of, he could worry about other things.

For this, he made for his D-Wheel. A cursory check of the systems told him that it was in good working order. Even so, for the task required, it would need some serious upgrades to accomplish said task. Another active laptop told him why. The only way to escape from the Satellite involved racing down one of the pipelines that provided the only hard connection between itself and the rest of Neo-Domino. 38 Kilometres to traverse. And a mere 12 minutes where they would be sufficiently clear for such an attempt. To do a good run through, he needed his D-Wheel to be able to average 200 Kmph throughout the run. Carefully, he removed all the attached cables that connected it to the laptop, before powering it down. Then he approached the heavy drapes, pulling them back a bit to open a path to outside. After that, he returned to, and sat himself down on, his D-Wheel. Pulling back on the accelerator slightly, the stands folded away as he began his trek. Running down the ramp that took it onto the rails - or rather it would have, had there been any rails. He took to the left and sped off.

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Centre Ring - Tops Island**

A building. Of an extremely unusual design. In that it was angled by 15 degrees from the vertical. Balanced out in that the lower third had an additional structure that leaned in the opposing direction, a soft tan as opposed to the silver and glass of the main structure. This support structure, in turn ran up the opposing side of the main building, only ending half-way up it. At it's roof, there existed a mansion, built on top of the skyscraper. A formidable size in its own right, at up to half the width of the building it rested on, with no less than four rows of windows. In front of that, there existed a series of gardens. A large swimming pool to its right, while a special D-Wheel track wrapped around the sides of the main building. The left side holding another, smaller building with a helipad set atop of it.

Inside the mansion. By the rear window, that overlooked the sea. Staring out at it, through the window. Jack Atlus. Without his riding suit, it could be seen that he had a plain black vest on. His blond hair set in a series of spikes that ran forwards and down at the front, and upwards and back for the rear. With a little bit hanging down right at the lower back of it. A pair of earrings, the letter 'A' on them, one per ear. Toned muscles, that appeared to have had care and attention paid to them were visible on his bare arms. The right forearm carried an unusual design on it. Resembling a wing that had been mirrored, a deep crimson shade in colour.

In the right hand. He held a card. Silver border, eight gold stars. A description of effects. And the Attack and Defence values stated as being 2500 and 2000 respectively. What it lacked. Was an image. A minute passed, then that missing image faintly began to show, slowly, gaining distinction. Soon enough, it had returned. The form of a dragon. The name printed on the card. Stardust Dragon. Glaring at it for an extra moment, he the swung around, one good throw of the card sent it spinning towards a deck, set on the table. It slid into the deck, slightly above the half-way mark, but not quite true. The corners being visible. A sight not lost upon the only other one occupying the room.

Dressed in a dark silver-blue suit, black shoes, a large, black waist-band. Along with a white, long sleeved shirt, that was decorated with a Condor Symbol on its front. White-gloved hands held behind his lower back. His hair was a light silver colour, almost no black at all left in it. Very long, with the upper half held back by a thin, black hair band. A few lines of age existed on his hard, stern face. And in his cold, very light blue eyes. His name, Rex Godwin. Director of Neo-Domino's Public Security Maintenance Bureau. He took a moment to look at Jack's deck, before turning his attention to Jack.

"King." He began in a deep, bass, and extremely composed tone. "Does one, of your calibre, experience nostalgia?"

Jack, in response to this question, turned slightly to look at him, then returned his gaze to the sea. "I used to live there. Remember?" He replied. Referring to a faint outline on the horizon, where a thick haze could be seen. "Personally. I would prefer it did not exist." A slight scowl could be seen on his face.

"I'm afraid that that is impossible, King" Rex explained. "The Satellite is the society, on which Neo-Domino is dependant. Every day, they fulfil the role allotted to them. Through the maintenance pipelines that connect it to here, the waste that is discarded is sent to them., where they perform the task of recycling it back into goods to be used here. It is their purpose in life." The last sentence was spoken as Rex strolled slowly towards Jack. "Nothing. Is truly unnecessary, in this world." A calm, controlling smile had remained on his face throughout.

"That does not change the fact, that a consider each passing day I lived there, a stifling disgrace." Jack's scowl deepened. Brows furrowing closer. Stopped when the area just up and to the right of his right eye began to warp and twist slightly.

In spite of being behind him. Rex was able to see it though the reflection from the window. As red and black showed, fading almost as quickly as it appeared.

"King. The fact that you, once lived there, in Satellite, is a Trial. One that was set for you to overcome." Rex resumed the conversation.

"A trial?" Jack mused, more to himself than Rex. Returning his eyes to where the haze hung.

"That is what I believe." Rex replied. "The fact that the only one who has ever made it here, from the Satellite, is you, King. That fact. Your birthmark. Your…abilities. They are proof, that you were chosen." Knowing that they both knew full well exactly what he referred to by that last part of the statement. One reason why, Jack's eyes peered down to look upon his birthmark.

Rex turned to leave, but not before producing a document, which he had been holding behind his back. Setting it on the table, where Jack's deck lay, he spoke a final time.

"Your next mission is here, King." As he turned to face him. "All the details are inside." He resumed his exit, through the immense pair of six by two metre doors, letting himself out. Leaving Jack Atlus alone with his thoughts, his deck, and the binded document.

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Satellite - Underground Railroad**

The whirring of an engine could be heard, reverberating off the walls as it sped through. The source being a crimson D-Wheel, with one rider. Pushing on the power and accelerating. Concern rising over just how light the front was beginning to become. The speedometer on the display reading 142 Kmph. Not willing to risk loss of control, he tapped the brakes to not only reduce his speed, but shift the weight back onto the front wheel. Cruising the remainder at just under 100. Risking a glance at the front wheels, he mused that he would have to find some way of pushing the front down when he pushed his D-Wheel to the limits. Otherwise, he could forget about running through the pipeline. On top of that, it began to run out of puff at that speed. He simply wasn't getting the performance he needed. And with just two weeks, he needed to really get to work.

Further musings would have to wait, though, as he was nearing his chosen exit. Little more than a tear in the walls, which led to a ramp, made of the ground itself, that would take him topside. In spite of the risks of being sighted by the wrong types, and the below-par performance of his D-Wheel, it remained, the best means of accomplishing the required tasks. A prior expedition meant a place to hide it was already known, making it the immediate destination for him.

Hidden under a small metal structure, comprised of the very stuff that littered the scrapheap, a torn sheet helping to keep it hidden. It was time to search for the final few items needed to complete his D-Wheel. Namely new programming chips and some means on pushing the front down. Not an easy task, for in spite of the trash being in extreme abundance. Sifting through it all, that was the hard part. And one which had taking up a lot of his time over the past two years. On top of that, since others tended to come and get what they could, as well as the piles being 'rebuilt' constantly, that meant, simply, that he needed to keep re-checking them all.

_'Small wonder,'_ He mused to himself, _'that this is my ninth trek here.'_ Keen eyes scanning the multitude of waste that had collected, his steps steady, though quiet.

Perhaps fifteen minutes after his solitary search began, a result was yielded. What he found, was a spoiler, the kind that would be used of cars. He knelt down, before picking it up, gazing intently at it. Checking it over for signs of damage, or unsuitability. An act that continued in total - save for his own breathing - silence for at least a minute. The shape was such, that it could work to provide some much needed down-force on the front. On top of that, it appeared to be at least fairly sturdy. Finally, he decided it would work, though he would keep searching in the event that something better would come along. Tucking it under the left arm, he rose back up and resumed his search. Even though it was a good find, he still needed a few other parts, if he was to finish modifying his D-Wheel. To that end, he resumed his search.

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Centre Ring - Tops**

Within the home of Jack Atlus. A lone figure peered over an opened document. Studying the details within it, with care, and precision. Contained inside of it, were the details of his mission.

For Jack Atlus, this was nothing unusual. At least, not anymore. What was basically stated in the mission portfolio, was that there was a potential threat to Neo-Domino's resource supply. Within a certain mountain region, where a rare mineral, known as Dyne was excavated, for use in D-Wheels and Duel Discs. To keep the workers nearby, and the Dyne flowing, a small town had been built there in short order. Crash Town, the name was. He knew the history well, not that he had been granted much choice. A necessity to maintain his image, and status, and one which he had been all too willing to cultivate.

In any case, it appeared that some new group was attempting to muscle their way in. and that posed a concern for some. Namely, if they succeeded, it could see a drop in the supply lines, ramping up the cost, which would impact on Neo-Domino's wealth, power, and influence. Which was why he had been tasked with journeying there, and putting an end, to their ambitions. Fortifying the position of Lotten while he was at it, the de-facto leader of Crash Town.

While normally, a task such as this would be left to more regular members of the Neo-Domino Security Forces, some of the information disclosed in the document provided some interest. Namely the need for four different pictures of the primary target, as opposed to the usual two. This certainly had Jack's interest. And supplied the rationale for the enlisting of himself for the task.

In any case, it was going to be a while. The designated chopper that would carry him over wouldn't leave until sunset, and then, was only going half-way. The main reason being that some element of surprise would be needed. That meant it would be daybreak before he even made it there. Where he'd be greeted by one of Rex's personal 'appointments' and given the advanced report on the situation.

And before all that. He was going to get some sleep. Having been awake for over 22 hours already, it would be something that would be needed. Not that he could resist a smirk as he thought about the task ahead. After all, it was about time something interesting happened.

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Satellite - Scrapheap**

An entire morning had been expended searching in one particular scrapheap, and for that, all he had to show for it was one good spoiler that could be worked on, and a pair of slightly better performance chips. Sighing to himself, he decided he may as well take what he had and start heading back. Besides, if he was lucky, what he had may be enough.

Back where he had hidden his D-Wheel, he opened a compartment behind the backrest, where he could safely deposit the chips and pulled out a small rope for the spoiler. A few quick knots and a strap to the back later, and he was ready to leave. Powering it up again, he slowly made his way out. Returning to his 'home', the same way he had come.

* * *

Unaware that he was being watched. From behind a vantage point, well hidden from view. A lone, solitary figure emerged. Perhaps the same age as the rider, but orange-red hair, viscously spikes upwards, held by a grey-blue headband. Black, leather fingerless gloves with studded wrists, as well as a pair of upper-arm bands, the same black as the gloves. He also wore a pair of tightly-belted grey-blue jeans, with a pair of black kneepads, which was complimented by black motorcycle boots. For above the waist, he had a light orange vest, along with an open, black, high collared combat vest, a pair of pockets set near the top of them, a small belt wrapped around the lower part.

Equipment came in the form of a small backpack, that seemed at least, fairly full, while in his right hand, he held a weapon - most likely a gun, based on the longish barrel design - of some kind. Other miscellaneous items within easy reach of his quick hands.

"So, Yusei." This figure spoke, with a coarse, tenor tone. "You've finally shown your face, have you? Good." He smiled, a cruel smile, of one who looked out for himself, and his lifestyle, first and foremost. "You're gonna make me my salary." pulling some sort of device to within his view. Closer inspection would reveal a clear screen, with a pulsing red dot shifting across it, tracking the locator that he had placed on his D-Wheel some time ago.

* * *

This time, the rider, Yusei, took rather more care on his return trip. Mostly because of the cargo he had, though also because something was feeling…off. Almost like a slight buzzing right at the back of his head, barely within the ability to feel. But it was there, making him nervous. On edge. That said, there was little he could do about it. Every time he looked, he knew that there was no-one else anywhere near him. Deciding to ignore it, he pressed on, he had more important things to worry about.

It was as a result, that some 15 minutes later, he had arrived back at his 'home', without incident. And set himself to work. The first part was quite simple, all he needed to do was swing open the monitor, to reveal the circuitry that resided beneath it. Retrieving the 'acquired' components, he began to make the switches. Taking out some chips, replacing them with the correct replacement parts. While having his laptop hooked up in order to receive the constant readings as to the health and performance of his D-Wheel. Both of which, were showing small, but notable improvements. A check of the accelerator told his ears that the engine was revving more smoothly, faster, and harder than before. To this he allowed himself a smile, at the upped performance.

The next part, however, would be somewhat more troublesome. Looking at the spoiler, he figured out what would need doing. First the sides would have to be cut to size. Then he'd need to work some kind of fixture for them. Then he'd have to fit them onto the front wheel without affecting its balance. And then test the whole thing out.

_'Guess it's true what they say. No rest for the weary.'_ He thought, taking out the tools and equipment that he'd need for the task.

The first part was, simple, if a little time consuming. Hacking away at the spoiler until he had two pieces of the right length. About 50cm. With that completed, he could worry about how to fit it on. Searching the items he kept around, he soon found something that could work. Studying it, and its twin, he realised that they could be used to provide a good mounting point for the spoilers. It meant more work, drilling the right holes in the right places, but at least it meant that he could make some progress.

Finally, thankfully, the task was done. And as such, he could now begin fitting them on. Fitting them to the frame itself, rather than the wheel, for obvious reasons. First the left, followed by a check to make certain it was on the right way, to provide down force. Then the right. The spoilers fitted. He now afforded himself a small break to look over his work.

True, the steel grey looked out of place next to the rest of his D-Wheel. But that was nothing a quick paint job couldn't resolve. And in any case, the performance and handling were what really mattered to him. And to that end, he started removing the wires, and connections. Re-sealing everything in preparation for a test run.

Or he would have, had his stomach not decided to gargle audibly then, demanding that he nourish it. A check of the time told Yusei that he'd been working almost non-stop for over two hours now.

_'Damn. Where does the time go?'_ He asked himself, frowning slightly, realising that he'd need to eat again, and get a little rest. _'I suppose the test can wait another hour.'_ More self-thought from himself, as he raided the fridge, grabbing what little there was. Barely enough for a small sandwich. _'Besides. I'm gonna have to get some more food again soon. Just about out.'_

He scratched the back of his head with the right hand, the buzzing having returned. That's when he felt something was off. Pulling off his glove, he groaned inwardly to see that the pink skin had been replaced with white scales. Again.

_'Been like this two years now. Thank you very much. Jack.'_ A silent curse towards him. Again, he tried to concentrate on getting the human hand back. Opening his eyes, and hoping to see pink, calloused skin again. Disappointment set in as he realised that the scales were still there. Only now there were purple gems on the knuckles now.

_'It's getting worse.' Yusei realised. 'I don't get that card back…'_ Any further reproach would have to wait, however. As the sound of the drape being pulled reached his already-sharpened ears. Slamming his scaled hand back into the glove, in order to hide it, he swung around to face the entrant. Great self-control being all that stopped him from jumping back in shock. Even if it did show on his face.

"Thought I wouldn't find ya?" The intruder asked, not allowing any time for an answer, before firing the weapon he'd already aim at Yusei. Who, in turn, was forced to take a violent leap to his right, to avoid the electro-shock. The spring massively multiplied as his body kicked in the adrenaline, and something else.

"Don't even try to run anymore. You just know I'll find ya again." His assailant spoke up, firing yet more rounds. Forcing Yusei to take several more leaps and bounds. Until his back struck the wall.

What drove fear, into himself, however, was the fact that he felt something connected to him on the wall. Long, wide, thin wings. A risky glance down with already amber eyes showed the right arm fully transformed. A tail reaching out. And those were definitely his claws, he felt on the ground. 'Wha-what the fuck's happening?' The thoughts of fear, emanating from Yusei. The realisation that his control was slipping, striking terror into him. Which in turn only served to accelerate the process, as he hit his full height.

The attacker, simply looked him over, a cruel grin emerging, slowly. "Good. That should make it easy to get the pay." Firing his weapon yet again.

The need to escape overwhelmed Yusei's thought processes, resulting in him diving through the drape itself. Tearing it painfully from its many hinges, and collapsing over him, forcing him to use his claws and blades to tear his way free again.

Unfortunately, this left him in one general point for far too long. And his attacker was more than happy to take full advantage of it. Depleting his remaining shots one, after the other. Near enough all of them hitting the intended target.

Wave, after wave. The pain blinding him, blinding his senses to all but the blasts coursing throughout his entire body. If he was screaming, then he could not even hear that. An eternity passed, and numbness set in. Everything fading into blissful dark. Before he hit the ground, he thought he hear a voice say, "Fuck you. Crow." Then. His weary, assaulted body stuck the ground. A collapsed heap. Breathing being the only sign of life in him.

A victorious man strolled over, brimming with the confidence of one who had succeeded in the intended goal.

"I would LOVE, to see you try that. Yusei." Chuckling cruelly to himself, before fishing out a few items from his backpack. Some chains, a few collars. A control switch of some kind. And a mobile phone. An older model, but one that could do the job well. He slipped the various collars around the wrists, arms, legs, waist, and neck, before binding the limbs together as best he could. A cursory check told him that it would hold, at least until collection. That done, he exited the place via the broken escalator, heading to the streets, where he could get a good signal.

Dialling a special number, and waiting for a response. Thankfully brief, which allowed him to get straight to the point.

"This is Crow. Tell Officer Ushio that I got him."

* * *

**Neo-Domino: Centre Ring - Tops**

The sun was beginning to set. And Jack Atlus was ready. With the information stored safely inside his head, his deck ready, his Wheel Of Fortune already prepared, all he needed to do was head on over to the waiting chopper. Before he left though, he was interrupted. A lady, with short, blue hair, and soft brown eyes, that drifted into gold. A brown belt to hold the skirt up, along with black shoes and blue dangle earrings A grey-blue skirted business suit. His personal assistant. Mikage Sagiri.

"Atlus-Sama! Atlus-Sama!" She called, quickening her pace to match his own.

An effort that did her no good, since Jack's singular response, was to continue without pausing, without even looking. His focus, was entirely on the mission at hand, and he was going to do it. Continuing towards the chopper, whose pair of rotors were already spinning, ignoring the futile protests from Mikage. He made his way up the rear ramp, where his Wheel Of Fortune was securely bolted down. Stepping through the door into the cockpit area, he helped himself to a window seat. Once he had strapped himself in, he issued his instruction.

"Pilot! Take off!"

To this, he complied, upping the power, increasing the spin of the immense rotors. Slowly, it's weight pulled itself free from the helipad, and began it's ascent into the sky. Slowly turning to face North, by North-East, before tipping forwards ever so slightly, and began the long trek to their destination.

Mikage, for her part, could only watch as the chopper slowly shrank away, eventually fading from view in the darkening sky. Sighing to herself, she slowly turned back around, intending to return to the mansion, and bury herself in her work, alone, as she did rather a lot.

So it was a surprise, to say the least, when she encountered Rex Godwin waiting for her at the doors.

"You need not worry yourself. The King's schedule has already been modified." He spoke up politely, though sternly.

"Director Godwin!" Mikage gasped, quickly bowing to her superior. "Please accept my apologies! The King didn't get the message!"

"That's quite alright. I already took the liberty of providing it for him. He'll find it soon enough." His gaze shifted from where he expected the chopper to be, and faced Mikage. "You really should learn to control your emotions more. That style will not do at all."

"Uh. Yes, Sir! My apologies Sir!" Mikage spoke out, a little more clearly, bowing again.

"Good. Now, we have quite a lot of work ahead of us." Now his eyes were cast upwards, tracking the stars themselves. "And I expect you to do it."

"Yes Sir. At once, Sir." Mikage replied, her composure regained. As Rex saw fit to take his leave, leaving Mikage alone with only her own thoughts. Sighing again, she took out a gold locket that she had hidden underneath her suit. Opening it revealed a small, analogue clock on the lower part. And a small picture of Jack Atlus on the top.

**Author's Note: Well. Another decent chapter done. And while this is rather fast by my more usual standards, that may be due to the fact that I already knew exactly what I wanted to do here. And that does help move things along properly. **

**Please read and review this. I would appreciate it, regardless of what it is you have to say. **

**And stay tuned. There will be more to come! :D**


	3. Captured! 'Crime' and Punishment!

**And here we are! The third chapter of the story! Much more focused on just one small area, but with how much there was to cover, it made perfect sense. Some surprises await both yourself and the characters here. And now, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Because I should've added this in to the first two chapters! _ Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Kazuki Takahashi & Konami. I just own this story. **

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds - Five Dragons**

**Chapter Three: Captured! 'Crime' and Punishment!**

Consciousness returned. Briefly. Fleetingly. For Yusei Fudo, it was an incoherent blur of lights and noise. None of which his bleary, nauseated mind could even begin to make out. He was jostled, shaken in all directions, his weakened mind pushed back into the bliss of unconsciousness. A heavy lurch upwards provided the final nudge towards it.

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunlit day. What few clouds existed were white and fluffy. Even here, this far from the factories and ruined urban regions, such days were a true rarity within the vicinity of Satellite. And for a day like this, the children could actually play outside and enjoy themselves, under the watchful, caring eyes of their Foster Mother.

Three stood out from this group. One, blond haired, with a slightly too-large white hoodie that was zipped up almost fully, blue sports trousers, and white trainers. Another had black hair, which had unusual spikes with gold highlighting. He wore a dark blue coat, with black trousers and shoes. The third was in a yellow t-shirt, with light blue jeans and black shoes, short blue-white hair, and gold eyes.

Jack. Yusei. And Kiryu.

While the other children were playing either within the grounds or just outside of them, these three could be seen sitting down together. Jack and Yusei faced each other, with Kiryu to one side. Jack and Yusei were duelling.

"Legendary Master Fencer, Masaki attacks you directly!" Yusei declared.

"Trap card, open! Skewer Pitfall! This trap destroys an attacking monster, then inflicts damage to the opponent equal to one quarter of that monster's Attack Power!" Jack countered, forcing Yusei to send the card to his Cemetery as Kiryu did the math.

With no other cards to play, "Turn End" was all Yusei could say.

"My Turn, Draw!" Jack drew one card, giving him two cards in his hand. "I summon Elf Swordsman in Attack Mode!" He took the card that had already been in his hand, setting it in the centre monster card zone. "Now I play the Magic Card, Twister! Which, by paying 500 Life Points, will destroy your facedown card!"

Yusei, was only able to take his final card on the field and send it to his Cemetery, knowing, that Jack had already won.

"Elf Swordsman attacks you directly! And I win!" Jack triumphantly cheered, having clocked up yet another victory.

And all Yusei could do, was hang his head slightly, ashamed, if only by the smallest amount. At having been defeated by Jack, yet again!

'_Why,'_ he thought, somewhat dismally to himself, '_why can't I get a win? What am I doing wrong?_' This run of near-self-reproach was cut off, by Jack.

"You'll never be able to defeat me, Yusei," Jack declared, a little haughtily. Yusei simply pulled his head back up and stared straight into him.

"Because you're the King?" he said, referring to Jack's key goal in life.

"Exactly. Because I'm the King." Jack replied, rather smugly, with a closed grin to match. "And a King knows better than to rely on only Monsters. A King knows better than to rely only on Magic, and Traps as well." A short pause came, as he looked at their respective decks. "While you relied on your Monsters, I chose a mixture to secure victory. Monsters. Magic. And Traps."

"And what else does a King know?" An all too familiar voice asked from behind him. A cringe of embarrassment came from Jack, as his cheeks flushed red, knowing exactly who it was, that was behind him. A stern smile came from their foster mother, Martha Kinoyama.

"A King…" Jack began, working to regain his composure, turned around and knelt down, the right arm over the right leg. "…always shows respect to a Lady." This part came far softer, and more dignified.

Martha's smile softened, as she knelt down to extend her own right hand towards Jack, which he accepted and kissed softly. This little act was more than enough to bring an end to Jack's smugness, as Yusei and Kiryu had to work to suppress their snickers, thankfully with success.

Some hours later, the three of them were now taking a stroll through the nearby woods, a rare luxury only made possible by the strictest of rules. This meant that they only had a short time available to them and were expected to remain on the path at all times. And with no knowledge of if they were being followed or not, they could only assume that that was the case.

"So how come you never Duel, Kiryu?" Yusei felt the need to ask, knowing that Kiryu, despite having a deck, never used it.

"I haven't finished building my deck yet," he responded, looking to his left, past Jack, to see Yusei. "And I won't use it until it's ready. Got it?" He sent his trademarked, wide, right-sided smile towards him.

"Humph. You keep saying that, Kiryu." Jack countered, his smug smirk showing through. "Seriously, all the islands are gonna come back together before 'it's ready', the rate you're going." None of them could hold back their laughter now, being forced to use each other for support, as they attempted to continue walking forwards.

Some minutes later, they had managed to calm themselves down, and had just started making their way back to the orphanage. As they trekked through the wooded canopy, two of them noticed, that one of them was a little… off. Yusei's face was completely relaxed, no emotion, or indeed, any indication that he was even in there.

"Yusei?" Kiryu asked nervously, realizing that he had begun to drift away from them.

To which there was no answer. Instead, Yusei simply meandered along, sliding further and further to the edge of the path. Much to the fast-growing concern of his friends, who were now visibly concerned at Yusei's bizarre behaviour.

"Yusei? What are you doing?" Jack demanded of him, taking some effort on his part, to hide his fear behind a veneer of annoyance.

Now, Yusei was completely off the path, heading right into the trees, oblivious to any and all around him. This included the cries from Jack and Kiryu. Stumbling further and further into the foliage, away from the path, one foot moving in front of the other, a seemingly endless cycle, carrying forwards a body that had no conscious mind inhabiting it. The minutes dragged painfully by, Yusei's body moving forwards still, of its own accord.

Finally, he stopped, standing where he was, though still oblivious to the world and the frantic cries from Jack and Kiryu, who had been forced to follow him. Blank eyes scanned the area, before locking on one of the trees, to which he walked over to. Dropping onto his knees, he reached a hand into the hole that appeared to have been borne into it. Fishing around for a few seconds, the hand caught hold of something. Something rectangular, made of cardboard. As he pulled it out, the same blank eyes caught hold of the image.

A white border, eight gold stars running from its right. A dragon, primarily of shimmering blues and white. A description of summoning conditions and effects, and a name.

Stardust Dragon.

A brilliant light emanated from it. The audience of two forced to shield their eyes from it. This passed after a few seconds, as the light soon dimmed, and returned to normal. They could now see Yusei, still kneeling down, staring into the card he now held, his breathing slightly ragged.

"Yusei!"

Finally, he reacted to the voice of Jack Atlus. Jolting up slightly, he finally took stock of his surroundings. He realized that he was way off the path, and holding something.

"What? What just happened?" He spoke, nervousness and fear audible in his voice.

"You completely blanked out on us!" Kiryu called out incredulously. "Seriously! You were a total Zombie! Had us worried sick!"

"And then you meandered here!" Jack added in. "If Martha finds out! You know what that means!"

The fear of repercussion seemed to do the job, as Yusei quickly deposited the card into a pocket, rubbed the dust and dirt off his knees, and followed Jack and Kiryu as they returned to the path that they has supposed to remain on.

On the return, they seemed to have avoided any real trouble, at the very least, and remained unwilling to talk about what had happened. Even so, a thought crept into Jack's mind, nagging the very back of it.

'_Why did his hand look so pale back then?_'

* * *

Eyes, gold taking up the entirety of the visible portion of them, opened. Focus returned only with effort. Something felt wrong already. Even weakened, the ground felt wrong. Too smooth. The slight, gentle roll from one side to the next only adding further fear and confusion to the situation. The haze lifted sufficiently, and the columns of metal bars came into view.

'_A cage?_' The frightened thoughts of its occupant, who attempted to rise, only to be pulled down, by, something. A fearful turn of the neck confirmed it. Heavy chains wrapped around the body, holding it down. The true terror, however, lay in the wings protruding from the back. The shimmering, white wings to which, the chains wrapped around each side of the joints that connected them to that same back. More chains held the lengthy tail down. The terrified, ragged breathing made clearly audible through the alarm of the caged.

"Awake at last? Are you?" A deep, gruff voice commanded. Belonging to a middle-aged man, with black hair that carried a spiked fringe, parted down the middle. Very heavy brows set into a frown. A solid, heavy face with a cruel smirk set into it. What he wore was the standard uniform for Neo-Domino Security Ground Forces: a grey-green jacket with gold tag and trousers, over a grey-white shirt and light yellow scarf. Grey-black boots, belt and fingerless gloves completed the attire.

"Don't bother trying to break out. Those shock collars are active. And powerful." A clawed hand reached to the neck, confirming what had been bolted into place. "And they're on. Try to break out and you'll feel it. Disobey, and I'll set them off." His own hand showed a remote of some kind, the purpose of it obvious to the two of them. "So I would suggest, that you simply lay down, and enjoy your cruise." A cruel chuckle left him, as he turned around, and exited the room, leaving the sole remaining occupant to take stock of the situation.

The design of the room, combined with the slight swaying, along with the tiny porthole windows confirmed what the Security Officer had stated. This was definitely a boat of some kind. And he was a prisoner. Thinking back, he remembered what had happened prior. He had been working on the final modifications to his D-Wheel, when he had been attacked. His panic had cost him control over his form, and the tangling in those drapes helped to keep him from making an escape. That's when he'd been knocked out. Or so he guessed.

And now, here he was. Yusei Fudo. A prisoner. Caged like some animal. The tiny, pathetic scrap of freedom that he did have, taken from him. All thanks to him. Crow. A clawed fist clenched, shaking slightly from the building anger.

'_Someway, somehow. You will be made to pay._' He silently vowed. In spite of the fact that he knew that he was kidding himself. Those like himself that were caught. Never got back out. All except for one. Him. Jack Atlus.

A flashback occurred. Old, all-but abandoned docks. Himself, Jack, a white D-Wheel, that did not look like it had been fully built. The rear-mounted handlebars very spindly, the appearance that of a serious lack of strength. His key card. His Soul. Stardust Dragon. Taken from him that day. The white-bordered card, now held by Jack.

That's when things began to decline for him. As he was forced to start over, Jack reigned in Neo-Domino as the King of Riding Duels, complete with fabricated origins. As for himself, with control over his, ability, slipping away from him, he needed to keep himself isolated. Alone. Only one goal in mind: getting into the main City, and retrieving what Jack had stolen from him.

And now, here he lay, shivering. Not from the cold, but rather, from the inescapable fear and grief. His life, as he knew it, was over. Tucking his head to his side, his breathing came in halted gasps. Tears welled and dripped down the side of his face. One wing laid itself over his head, as so to hide the sight from prying eyes. Sleep returned after some sorrowful time.

Some hours - that being his best guess - later, the cage he was sealed in jolted, awakening him. The sky was pitch dark, the sullen half-moon eking its pale light. Yusei guessed that he had been hoisted onto a flatbed of some kind. It was now holding the cage into place, as it picked up speed.

He could guess where it was he was being taken to: a specialized Detention Centre set in the most distant of the islands that comprised Neo-Domino. This would have explained that ride on the boat. Several dozen Security Officers could be seen patrolling it, all heavily armed. Some of which had turned to face him, harsh glares of predetermined hate focusing in on him. They were forcing him to block them from his sight, unable to endure the venomous stares.

The truck halted for a few moments. Risking a fleeting glance, Yusei could see a solid wall, most likely the outer perimeter of the complex. An audible creaking of moving metal could be heard, which could only be the gates to let them in. Another lurch told him that the truck was moving again. It passed by the gates, easily as thick as he was long. This repeated itself twice more, taking them past the boundaries, into the complex.

Shortly after entering, it stopped. The Security Officers could be heard exiting the vehicle. Soon after, he heard the hissing of electrical doors opening and closing. Time passed, nothing happening.

'_What is going on?_' Yusei could not help but wonder to himself. '_If they'd gone to the effort of dragging me all the way here, then why am I just being…left…he, here?_' His thoughts dulled rapidly. Sleep forcing itself upon him once more, as heavy eyelids sealed themselves, his mind relaxing as rest came to him.

Not long after that. The inner doors opened again, a half-dozen Security Officers present, wearing breathing masks. They set to work unloading the cage, setting it on a smaller transport. That done, one of them operated it by remote, slowly crawling it towards the only set of doors that had remained unused up until this moment, rolling it into what could be viewed as an airlock of some kind. With them all present, it was sealed, allowing the gasses that had induced unconsciousness to be filtered out, cleaner air replacing it. Once the sensors deemed that enough of it had been extracted, the inner doors were unlocked, and seconds later, opened, enabling them to proceed forwards to Yusei's already-decided fate.

* * *

"SM/DT-14/W!" A deep, commanding voice reverberated around the immense room that Yusei had woken up in, his face stinging slightly, on the left side. He couldn't see the bars, on account that he was out of the cage. Looking around, he saw armed guards stationed at various places, all holding their weapons.

"SM/DT-14/W!" The same voice. Turning towards the source, he faced a raised stand, upon which a grey-suited man sat, the face partially obscured by shadows, and the powerful lights trained on himself.

"SM/DT-14/W!" Yet again, the voice repeated the same series of letters and numbers. "Yusei Fudo! Your type isn't permitted to run free anywhere! Not even in Satellite! Furthermore, your own failure to turn yourself in is itself, a serious offence within the Jurisdiction of Neo-Domino!" Maintaining his stance perfectly, allowing a very few seconds for the reality to sink in. "Therefore, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau, Law Enforcement Department, has made the following rulings towards yourself!"

"First! The Marker Incision! An act which has already been carried out!" To this, all Yusei could do was reach a shaking hand up to the left side of his face. Running a clawed hand over it, realising that part of it seemed, off. A sickly, oily black mark seared into it. Yusei realised, that the faint stinging he felt came from it.

"Second! Control Collar Fitting! This will ensure that you remain compliant!" The same hand now ran over a thick collar, fitted tightly to the base of his neck, its design suggesting that it would need some serious work to get it off. Confirmed when the man spoke. "Any attempt to remove it will be, Fatal! So it's best you don't even try!"

"Third! Both your D-Wheel and Decks have been confiscated! They are now the property of the Public Security Maintenance Bureau!" This particular revelation was more than enough to ignite the anger in Yusei, snapping his head towards the man, hatred in his eyes. The Mark and Collar were survivable. But the theft of his deck?

'_Unforgivable._' Yusei silently vowed vengeance upon him.

"Finally!" The man continued, either not noticing, or not caring about the look in Yusei's eyes. "You will undergo, over a minimum six-month period, a 'Special Training' Regime from within this complex! Through it! You will be made to learn your role within this World! Your purpose in life! This is to begin immediately!"

Three of the guards present, those closer to him advanced. Two had their weapons trained on him. The third held a remote, Yusei could guess what it was for.

"This way." One of the guards, the smaller one with the weapon stated, before turning to walk over to a large door on the right. Knowing that resistance, at this point at least, would be pointless. All Yusei could do for now was follow them, the door height meaning he needed to remain down, using both the legs and arms to move forwards. Humiliating, for him to be pushed around like this.

Taking the left, he was led further inwards. At least, Yusei guessed they were heading deeper into it. There was no way for him to tell, after all. They stopped after a short distance, as the guard in front used a key card to open a new door.

"Get in." He commanded, making certain Yusei knew that he had no choice but to comply.

Sliding in, Yusei could see that there lay a small table in the centre, with a few items of clothing on it. They were a very meagre type, made from very thin fabric; dull, dark blue trousers with a lighter blue jumper. Slip-on shoes were all that finished it.

"Switch back; then put them on." The same guard spoke.

'_Seriously? Are the others mute or something?_' Yusei pondered. He complied anyway, not willing to risk giving them a reason to attack him. Not just yet, anyway. Focusing, he was able to begin the process. Wings retracting back into him, tail doing likewise. Scales faded into soft skin. Head reshaped. All the while, his height reduced fast. It didn't seem to take as long this time. Why was uncertain, but no time to dwell on it, since now he had to quickly get his own clothes off, and the meagre attire on, thankfully a quick enough process.

"And just in case you're curious. Yes. That collar was made special, and will keep itself attached to you." Again, from the same guard. A check of the neck confirmed he was telling the truth. It was still attached to him. "Now. This way." With no other real option, Yusei followed him, deeper inwards.

They continued, in silent procession, for a few further minutes. Heading down a few flights of stairs, so it was safe enough for Yusei to conclude that now, they could well be underground. They headed along a long corridor, rows of doors, all with electrical locking mechanisms on them.

Finally stopping perhaps halfway down this particular corridor, the guards stopped, motioning for Yusei to do likewise. The main one, who had been doing all the talking, pulled out his key card swiping it down the scanner, the light switching from red to green, as the door slid open.

"This will be your cell. Get inside." The lead guard commanded. Without looking at them, Yusei stepped inside, checking the interior.

No windows, just a simple bed, with mattress and thin covers, a tiny set of drawers, and an inner door that he guessed led to a small toilet room.

"Enjoy your stay." The lead guard stated. "The "Training" will begin for you first thing tomorrow. Until then, take the time to realize your place in the world." The door hissed slightly as it shut, a series of clicking sounds indicating that the locks were on again, as the fading footsteps of the guards told Yusei that they were leaving. Leaving him here, alone.

After confirming that there was a toilet room, consisting of just that and a sink. He sat down on the bed, before laying down on it, staring at the ceiling. Slightly uncomfortable, in part because of the low quality of the mattress, though that was something he was used to. And mainly due to the annoying collar they'd fitted to his neck. Rubbing it again, he still couldn't quite figure out how it managed to stay on.

'_Seriously, how the hell do they make this sort of stuff?_' He wondered to himself, preferring to have something on his mind. So long as he could think on something, he'd be okay. He'd be able to keep the pain to one side, though in one case, it was already literally on the one side. Rubbing the left side of his face again, he could still feel the difference in texture. From the corner of his left eye, it went straight down until it reached the base of the cheekbone, before changing direction to stop, just forwards of the bottom-back corner of the jaw. A small, equatorial triangle, fitted behind where the main mark ran straight down could be felt as well, one side parallel to the main line. From what he knew, they served as identification and tracking. Telling everyone that they'd committed some "offence" within the jurisdiction of Neo-Domino. His would tell those about his, other face, and failure to report it. As would this collar he rubbed again. Furthermore, thanks to them, his every move could now be seen, his every action recorded, his every location tracked.

'_Take away my freedom, would you?_' Truth be told, Yusei was pissed off. It was bad enough that he'd be stuck here for who knows how long. But that they'd take away his right to live his own life, his privacy… the fear gave way to anger as he remembered the worst part.

This was the second time that a D-Wheel that he built had been stolen from him, before he'd even been able to finish building it. The first time was hard enough, when Jack had utterly betrayed him by stealing it. Using it to run from the Satellite, and set himself up as King in the main City. Taking his Stardust Dragon card as well! A fist clenched again. And the worst part was, he'd managed to get away with it!

'_Who helped you?_' A question he'd been asking himself since that day. Yusei was under no illusion, there was no possible way that Jack could have ever performed such a stunt on his own. He must have had help from inside. Inside the Governing Body of the Public Security Maintenance Bureau itself, would be the most likely scenario, since they could work best to keep such things under wraps. And where Jack was, would be known by the Director.

Rex Godwin.

Four years as Director next month. And if he wasn't responsible for Jack's "escape", then he would have to at least be aware of it, and more than willing to use it to his advantage. Like any politician, he knew the right words to say, when to say them, and how to say them. He maintained quite the upstanding public persona of a respected citizen of Neo-Domino.

His Deck. Built from what he'd been able to salvage from the various piles of refuse that littered many parts of Satellite. That they would dare take it from him! That which he'd poured his very Heart and Soul into! The dark rage etched itself onto his face at last. Now, even if he managed to get out this place, if he wanted to face Jack in a Duel, he'd almost certainly need to build a new Deck from scratch. Unless he used a more, direct, method. The idea had cropped up in his mind, from time to time. He had, however, realised that if he was able to de-throne him, such a means of settling the score with Jack. The idea certainly had merit; taking him down in spirit, as opposed to merely in body. Thus, that had become his favoured method of securing the vengeance he sought, and reclaim that which had been taken from him.

First though, he needed to get out of this place. And to do that... '_Who am I kidding_?' Yusei thought, chuckling sarcastically to himself. '_They've got this place sealed up so tight, even oxygen needs permission to enter._'

The cruel reality was exactly that. He was stuck here. And nothing short of a miracle was going to get him out. Kicking off the shoes, he slipped under the thin covers, deciding that, for now, all he could do was try to get some sleep. Lids closing, sleep returning a couple of minutes later.

* * *

**Crash Town: 640 Km North/North East of Neo-Domino**

Although the sun had not yet risen, the sky certainly had a far lighter blue hue to it, the stars beginning to fade from view as the sun bounced its light over, its greater strength here overpowering them. In the distance, a slight kicking of dust could be seen, just forwards of the horizon, a small speck on it, growing larger as time passed.

For Lotten. This had better be the "Special Help" he had requested from Godwin. The group that had barged in was proving to be more than a nuisance. He'd already lost several members of his enforcement group to them. And to top it all off, they were now holed up inside the mines, most of the entrances and exits sealed, keeping him from getting anyone in. Or out.

Without the Dyne from inside the mountains, the main income source for Crash Town - more than 80% - would be lost. And supplies wouldn't last that much longer. In short, he was running out of options. If he wanted to keep himself in charge, he needed to keep the town on side. And to do that, he needed to keep the Dyne, and therefore the money, flowing. And to achieve that, he'd been forced to call for help. This was something he despised doing. But as much as he hated to admit it, it simply couldn't be helped. His own forces were insufficient to the task at hand; he needed more help, of a more specialized variety.

That is why he stood by the entrance to Crash Town, wearing a near-stereotypical western cowboy setup. Black heeled shoes over denim trousers. A white, long-sleeved shirt, slightly opened at the top, over which, a tough, soft brown open vest, with fingerless gloves over his hands, finished off with a gold jewel hung around his neck.

Finally, his help was close enough for a good look. Close enough for Lotten to receive a serious surprise. True, Godwin had promised him the best help available. Even that was downplaying things a lot. Jack Atlus. King of Riding Duels. This was certainly interesting. But to focus on the task at hand, he knew that Jack wouldn't have _all_ the information to hand. Just what was happening, and a name.

Arcadia.

**Authors Note: And what a chapter! And thanks to the first pair of reviewers. Mayuko-chan and Acer One Three Four. Glad you're enjoying this story so far. And extra thanks to Acer, who helped with/beta'd this chapter. ****:)**

**As always, keep the reviews coming. As I keep working on the rest of this story. **


	4. Crash Town! The Other Job!

**The much-delayed fourth chapter at last. I apologise, but Writer's Block will do that to a guy. So let's see what Jack Atlus will be up to. **

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Kazuki Takahashi & Konami. I just own this story.**

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds - Five Dragons**

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds - Five Dragons**

**Chapter Four: Crash Town! The Other Job! **

Jack Atlus, King of Riding Duels, arrived in Crash Town. This briefly brought his mind back to when he'd agreed to the terms set two years prior, when he all but put his name and signature down on the dotted lines.

'_Still better than rotting away in some prison._' What Jack always told himself every time that doubts entered his mind. Always being more than enough to put them away. True, such a threat was never actually said outright. However, he was under no illusion that that would have been his fate in the event of refusal.

In any case though, now was not the time to worry about such matters, seeing as he applied the brakes to come to a stop, just by the entrance. Raising the left handlebar, he stepped off his Wheel of Fortune, his Duel Disc still attached to his left arm. Taking strong, confident steps towards the only other individual within sight. If the information he had was accurate, then he already knew the identity of the man.

"Lotten." Jack stated simply.

"King." Lotten's one-word response. "So I presume you're up-to-date on the situation?"

"With all the information that was sent, yes." Jack replied. "So has anything changed since you send that request for help?"

"Well." Lotten began, working out the right words to say to him. "About a month ago, a group of, _that sort_, managed to slip into the Dyne Mines within the mountain range over there." He pointed towards the mountains behind Crash Town, quite visible in spite of the distance. "After killing several of my Men, they've since sealed themselves inside. As a direct result, those that might still be alive are now being held hostage, and the flow of Dyne has completely halted. When I tried to get them out, they fought back. Hard." A certain bitterness could be heard from Lotten. "Several more died that day. That's when I sent the request for help to Director Godwin. It was after I sent that request that they sent one of the hostages over, to deliver their demands." He pulled out a file from a folder he'd been holding onto, handing it over to Jack, who was quick to look over its contents. His eyes widening as he took a good look at the pictures within it.

"These would be…" He growled slightly, more to himself than Lotten, though he could hear it quite clearly. Two draconic creatures. One white, with a long body. The other black, with two faces.

"Yes. I take it you know what they are." The stare between them was enough to confirm Lotten's suspicions. "They claim to be from something called the Arcadia Movement, and intend to claim the Mines as their own. On top of that, they expect everyone here to follow suit. I would suspect that they wish to use the Dyne themselves, most likely in order to secure leverage over Neo-Domino."

"They're getting bold." Jack mused. "First they attempt to intimidate the suppliers. Then they began to raid the resource deliveries. And now this, seizure of the main resource deposits." Jack allowed a moment for the situation to sink in.

"Choking off the Lifeblood of not only Neo-Domino, but many other places as well." Lotten surmised, a grim look etched onto his face. "It would appear that they're trying to force their terms on everyone. And it would seem that they're willing to go the extra mile to achieve it."

"That would be true if they were hitting multiple targets. Multiple States," Jack corrected him. "However, they seem to be specifically targeting regions that are under the influence of Neo-Domino. In other words, they want Neo-Domino."

"And everything that it has. Which considering Neo-Domino's power and influence, is rather a lot." Lotten finished, as they walked into the Town.

Now that they were entering Crash Town proper, Jack could get a good look at the place. Very dusty, the appearance of a place that either didn't have a particularly great amount of wealth to it, or had been built with great haste. Given the events of seventeen years prior, Jack supposed that places like this would not be all that uncommon.

They headed into what appeared to be the central square, where he could see a Flower Shop to one corner and on the other…

'_The Classy Ass?_' The name of what Jack guessed was Crash Town's main Bar hung over its front door. In large, bold, easy to read writing. '_How? How do you manage to get away with a name that?_'

Not that there was much time to ponder over the issue, since Lotten was already heading inside said Bar. Getting a good look inside, grouped tables around the floor - empty, but not surprising given just how early in the day it was - with the bar set along the rear wall, which was where Lotten headed. Heading to the stairs set behind it that led upstairs, motioning for Jack to follow.

The room they entered had been set up to form a meeting room, the main circular table in the centre having a small number of files and pictures littered over it, four chairs set around it at equal points. Looking them over, Jack could see that despite the somewhat haphazard scattering, they did appear to be clustered loosely into relevant groups. Images, maps and files. Lotten pulled out the map at the top of its respective pile, and opened it to reveal a top-down view of what Jack determined was the layout of the nearby Dyne Mines.

Lotten started speaking. "The entrances at the South-West and West were the most heavily used. They've been collapsed. As have these alternate entrances and emergency exits." Lotten pointed to several points on the main map that had certain parts of it circled in deep red, allowing it to be seen with ease. And of those circled areas, all but two of them had been crossed out.

"So why are those two without an extra marking on them?" Jack asked, pointing out the pair in question. Noting the fact that they appeared to be a little fresher than the others.

"They would illustrate the hidden entrances. I had them built in the event that they'd be needed. As the situation stands…"

"So what of this one?" Jack pointed to one of the 'hidden' entrances, the Southernmost one. "How would I reach it? And where would it take me?"

"Well." Lotten began. "That one is actually set in a canyon wall. It's position makes it easy to get out of. But getting in would be another matter."

"Then even if they know of it, the chances are they may not keep such a sharp eye on it." The right side of his lips curling up ever so slightly. "So it would be the best way in." And achieving that was certainly something he would be capable of.

"Except that I've just said that it's set into a canyon wall." Lotten said. "That alone will make getting in a challenge. What makes you think you'll do it?"

"Simple." Jack confidently said. A confidence that he knew, from experience, was not misplaced. "You're looking at someone who can do near-enough anything with a D-Wheel. No matter the challenge, my Wheel of Fortune never fails! And neither do I!" The smug smirk etched much more clearly on his face, Lotten couldn't possibly fail to see it.

'_Well he certainly seems to relish the challenge._ _I may as well let him have his fun. After all, it's not like I neglected the need to have contingency plans should even this fail._'

"Well then." Lotten maintained his business-like composure. "What are you going to need?"

"Just what I brought with me. And one of the interior maps."

"Very well then." Lotten sifted though the pile. A few moments later, he produced one, though he saw fit to check it over himself, before handing it over to Jack. "This one would be up-to-date. Now, for getting there." He picked up another map that he had set aside while he'd been looking for the one to give to Jack. Opening it and spreading it over the table, it contained an outlay of the surrounding area, the Dyne Mines, and Crash Town itself marked.

"From here, you head West by Northwest. That will take you to behind this smaller mountain range. There's a route that will take you into the canyon floor from there, and that will allow you to reach the aforementioned hidden entrance without fear of detection. However, once you reach here," He pointed where the entrance would be. "It's going to be quite a climb up."

"That won't be an issue." Jack assured Lotten. "I'll be leaving now."

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck. Good hunting out there." Lotten allowed himself a small smile for Jack to see.

"That, I will."

Leaving the Bar, Lotten watched Jack as he returned to his D-Wheel, powering it up and leaving for the Mines. Not long after, he turned to see someone approaching him from the Flower Shop.

With long, layered raven hair. Hazel eyes. A soft lipstick over the lips. Wearing a soft black top which seemed to have a tie at its top-front, that left both the shoulders, and the midriff open and three-quarter length sleeves. A pair of wristbands were also worn. A deep-pink skirt that ended slightly below the knees, though the top and bottom of it were of a far lighter shading, with a belted appearing brought on by the extra material set to the right side, the same lighter pink scheme used there. The look of completed with a pair of black heels and a gold jewel hung of a necklace, which rested just above her notable, though not oversized breasts. All of which served to show off her slim, well maintained body.

"Are you certain that this is going to work, Lotten?" She asked, coldly, of him. A stern, serious expression on her face.

"It should Barbara." Lotten replied to her, the strong confidence evident in his face, the cruel smile making itself known. "It doesn't matter to me how they're taken down, only that they will be taken down." A cruel chuckle exiting his mouth as it dawned on Barbara just what exactly he meant by his choice of words.

"Humph. A small enough price I suppose." She returned to Lotten, a similarly cold, and menacing smirk now shared between them. "They'll be other places to extract the money from."

* * *

**The Crash Desert: Approx. 35 Km from Crash Town**

Racing through a deep gorge, Jack Atlus made his way to where the entrance had been shown earlier. While looking up to find the entrance, he could see that the sky had turned to its light blue, confirming that the Sun had, in all likelihood, fully risen by now. Nudging the Wheel of Fortune to the right slightly to dodge a small body of water that lay on the canyon floor which he'd noticed earlier, Jack noted the fact that there were a handful of such points he'd crossed. Almost certainly a result of the fact that the Sun would not be able to aim its light directly at this place for very long - if at all - so in spite of the, at times intense heat that this place could reach, standing water could hold out here, if only for a while.

Easing off the accelerator, he allowed the Wheel of Fortune to slow itself down, while still keeping a firm control over it. While the speed dropped, Jack allowed himself a moment to secure a glimpse of the entrance he'd been shown. True to Lotten's warning, simply reaching it would present a serious challenge. Even so, Jack was not particularly worried about that, he already had his entry method worked out, and only needed one thing to be certain that it would work.

Now applying the brakes, Jack brought the Wheel of Fortune to a stop, setting it below an outcropping that would help to keep it from view, especially from anywhere above. Now he lifted the left handlebar to step off the seat and get a good, solid look at where he needed to go now, leaving his Duel Disc where it was for the time being. Stepping out of the outcrop, he turned his sights up to observe the entrance, the surroundings, and the map he had.

True to Lotten's word, this particular opening was very much designed for getting out, rather than in. Not that Jack Atlus was even the least bit concerned about how he was supposed to slip in, he'd already devised that means since before he even began the trek here. Placing the map in a small compartment just behind the backrest, he took a few careful steps away from his prized Wheel of Fortune, as so to ensure it would not be damaged.

This was something he'd done a sizable number of times before, though he needed to be certain again that there was no-one watching. The last thing he could afford would be to be outed. One final proper look around confirmed to him that he was the only one in the area, so, with a fair bit of mental effort, it began. A pair of deep crimson wings sprouted, slightly ragged at the ends. A long, black tail as the legs shifted away to accommodate it. Tri-Horned head atop a lengthened neck. Hard, black and red scales replacing the soft flesh while the teeth turned red and sharp. Within moments, it was done.

'_I don't call Red Daemons My Very Soul for no reason._' He mused to himself, while checking himself over with blazing, golden eyes to be certain it was all done correctly. A task made easier thanks to a longer, more supple neck, so now it was time to get to work.

Heading over to the cliff edge, he looked up at the opening, the gap between the canyon walls wasn't particularly big here, which could make simply flying up a problem.

'_But it's not like I have to take that chance._' He thought to himself as he swung his right hand into the cliff, the sharp, clawed fingers easily digging into the hard rock. A quick check to make certain it would hold his weight, and he began climbing up. reaching the opening in quick time. Now safely inside, he could take stock of the fact that, even standing, he had plenty of headroom, certainly a welcoming piece of news for him, as he made his way through the tunnel.

Even in the dim light, Jack made out the walls and path ahead. Just one advantage of his current form, in that his sight was considerably sharpened, which in turn made navigating this place easier. That, and remembering the layout from earlier to tell himself which way he needed to go next. Coming to a fork in the tunnel, he knew the left path would lead him towards the main mining caverns, whereas the right path kept him in the smaller tunnels, which led to the berthing areas and storage. If the hostages were in the main caverns, to keep them in one group, then his chances of avoiding notice until he was ready were better if he were on the right path. Though he now kept a hand on the wall, feeling his way across since there seemed to be no lights here.

Continuing on, Jack carefully navigated the dark maze, his footsteps being the only noise he could hear, until finally, he came to a door. Feeling it with the right hand, he found that it swung open under his touch, some light coming from inside through a gap in the wall that served as a window and vent. The two beds told him he'd reached the berthing area in these mines, just as he expected to. Though the truth was, he did wonder why they'd need them when Crash Town wasn't really that far away.

'_Probably to cut down on the travel time and expense._ _Now, the storage area isn't that far away, and even if it takes me close to the main mining cavern, I won't actually have to go through it._' He convinced himself, as he slowly resumed his trek.

A few minutes passed, as Jack continued his careful trek, he knew he was getting close to the main mining cavern, while a faint hum of noise, a multitude of indiscernible speech told him he'd been correct in his earlier guess.

"REMAIN SILENT!" A dark voice reverberated, bringing Jack to a standstill. At this fork he'd reached, he knew the storage area would be straight ahead, while where that voice came from was down the left path. Deciding it was worth the risk, he made his way down the left path, where a strong light could be seen at its end.

"REMEMBER! YOUR LIVES ARE IN OUR HANDS NOW! ONE WRONG MOVE AND YOU'LL END UP LIKE THE OTHERS!" That voice boomed out again, as Jack reached the end of the tunnel to see who was making the noise.

Risking a careful look, he could see rows of people chained together, and one moving freely, all of them looking away from him. The one that moved around had a white body that was very long for its width, white feathered wings, gold armour and headpiece, with extremely spindly arms and legs that appeared to have no strength at all in them. The spitting image of Light End Dragon.

'_So there's one. Where's the other one?_' Jack wondered. He knew he couldn't risk peering out any further since that came with too high a risk of being seen. '_No two ways about it. I'll just have to gamble on the other one being there too._'

Now that he knew where the hostages were, he needed to rescue them without being seen. Backing away slowly, pleased that none of them had even turned around, he returned to the last branch in the tunnels and turned to take the remaining path. He followed this route for a time, thankful that the lights had been left on in this area, before reaching his destination. A small group of doors, spaced a notable distance from each other, the main storage area. A soft press on the first door told him what he'd already suspected, these doors were not only shut, but most likely locked.

'_Not that that will be a problem for me._' He would have smirked if his mouth would allow it, as he pressed his hands on the side of the door, hunkered down slightly. With a mighty shove, it was torn right off its lock to swing inwards. Stepping inside the room, he could see digging and drilling equipment, hard hats, high-visibility vests and jackets, and a few small isolated crates, each with the letters TNT marked in red on them.

Wrenching one of them open, he could see that it was three sticks of TNT tied together with a length of wire fitted to it, missing only a battery to ignite it with.

'_Once I find one, that'll be the distraction to peel them away with sorted. Knock them out, chain them up, call in the rescue squad, job done. Thank you Alfred Noble._' His plan for dealing with the situation formed in his head, as he picked up the box of TNT and wire and turned round. Just in time to receive a savage blow to the left side of his head, which sent him crashing into the ground.

Reeling from the impact, he forced his head back up to face the direction from where he'd taken that blow. Even with his vision blurred slightly, he could make out the outline of his assailant. Black bodied, membrane wings, two faces, with large horns set in the head on the long neck, and a spike set on the tip of the tail. He knew this was the other one. Dark End Dragon.

'_How? How didn't I know he/she was coming?_' His confused thought as his vision cleared up a bit.

"I hope you enjoyed your little trip so far." Said dragon spoke darkly, the voice coming from the upper face. "Since now, things are only going to go South for you." Kicking Jack hard in the gut and chest repeatedly as he spoke, causing him to double up from the assault.

"Shit." Jack groaned out, as his head swam from his beating, as his consciousness began to fade.

**Author's Note: I bet Jack never saw that one coming! And while he gets his Arse handed to him, I'll be working on what happens elsewhere in this world. Yusei's turn will be coming up soon. **

**Thanks to Dark Raku who Beta'd this chapter, and helped me to massively improve it as a result IMHO. **

**Again, keep the reviews coming! ^_^**


	5. Light and Dark! Defeat the Brothers!

******This Chapter took a while, and needed some serious re-editing work. But it's now complete and ready for your reading pleasure! ^_^**

******Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Kazuki Takahashi & Konami. I just own this story.**

**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds - Five Dragons**

**Chapter Five: Light and Dark! Defeat the Brothers!**

Jack lay on the ground receiving blow after blow, and fought to keep himself from retching while his head swam from the assault. He knew he had to do something soon, or this could very well be the end for him. Fortunately for him, the beating halted as Dark End paused to take a look at him.

"Wait a minute…." Realisation kicked in as he remembered where he'd seen this particular dragon before.

NOW!

Jack yanked his left leg in and before Dark End knew what was happening, he powered it out and the heel went right between the legs! As hoped, he recoiled from the blow, hunkering in as he pressed his hands into the struck area, while Jack brought himself back up.

"Figured it would still hurt," he said, before a fist was smashed into Dark End's face, sending him spinning back and into the wall. Two more blows and he slumped to the ground, his breathing became slow but steady.

'_Just unconscious. Good._' Jack thought, as he leaned on the wall for support. Even that short burst had taken a toll on his already weakened body, which threatened to chuck up some bile.

Thankfully for him, the sickness subsided in short time, and he found himself able to move around again, though he'd still have to take it easy, at least for the time being. After double-checking Dark End to make sure he was still out cold, he took the dynamite he'd come into the room for and slowly made his way out. There was still one more - Light End - to be dealt with, and he needed to deal with that one before this one recovered. Picking up the dynamite he'd come in this room for in the first place, he exited the room to deal with the other target.

Taking care as he moved around, Jack backtracked a small ways to bring himself into hearing range of the main cavern he'd seen earlier, slightly ahead of a sharp fork where he could hide if needed.

'_I could've gotten a battery and wire for this,_' He thought, looking at the dynamite he carefully carried, still thankful that it hadn't sweated while stored, '_But I got my own method for making this blow._'

With that in mind, he picked a spot that looked stable to him where the tunnel was wider. With great tenderness, he set it down in the middle of the path, before heading back more than a short ways. Facing towards where he'd left it, he knelt down on the one knee, unfurling his wings. Hands ready at his sides, he built up the power inside himself. Feeling the flame riding up his throat, he took aim at where he'd left the dynamite, and spat out a strong flame towards it, then immediately brought his head down, plugging his ear holes as best he could while bringing his wings around to cover his front as he hunkered down some more. A moment later, a viscous blast roared its sound through the tunnel as it shook quite a bit. As that blast echoed around, the blast itself raced his way, deflected by his wings to keep the rest of him safe.

* * *

**2.5 Years Ago….**

_They'd been huddled together, trying to keep each other warm as the rain belted down just outside the cave they hid in. These two brothers were used to this by now, always running, never knowing when they could rest or have a meal. As it was it had been two days since the last time they'd been able to eat, their stomachs gurgling constantly, stinging with the need to be filled. _

_The clothes they wore were dirty, torn, soaked through as they'd searched for this shelter, clinging on to their near-skeletal frames. A pair of haggard eyes, set in a gaunt face stared at the equally wretched face of his brother. _

"_Why Haru? Why this?" The second one croaked out of his weak throat. _

"_I don't know Kaito." The first replied, despair evident in his voice. "I simply don't know." _

_For reasons outside their control, they were deemed monsters, menaces that had to be placed under control of authority for the good of society. Rather than be made slaves, they had been on the run for several months now, scraping by on whatever they could find, beg for, or steal, trapped in the rocky wastelands that lay beyond the power of the City. _

"_Even if they don't find us, this weather will kill us for them." Kaito convinced himself. "There's nothing left here for us." _

"_Then we need to move." Haru sought to reassure his depressed brother. "Once the weather clears, we move again. We have to. We have to." _

_No reply came from Kaito, since he'd been forced into sleep by his own tiredness, and lack of energy. With nothing else left to do or say, Haru joined his brother in sleep. _

_When Haru woke up again, the rains had passed, the Sun had begun its climb into the sky. And they had another individual with them. _

_Standing tall, a man with a rich confidence in both his stance and face, a soft smile on that face. Most of his body was hidden underneath a brown trench coat, leaving the head to take his attention. The most notable feature there being the crazy fringe from the red hair that swept from just off the centre to the right and right past his head. Haru carefully brought himself in front of his brother while keeping his attention on this man. _

"_You need not fear me," The man spoke. "My name is Divine. I lead an organisation known as The Arcadia Movement, and I have been searching for a while now to find you." _

"_And why should we care?" Haru demanded of him as Kaito remained behind himself, the both of them wary of this new man. _

"_Only because those in Arcadia are much like yourselves, gifted, yet tormented souls who are looked down upon, reduced to slavery, denied even basic rights through no fault of their own. We of Arcadia are committed to bringing this vile injustice to an end." Divine explained to them, though the brothers remained skeptical. _

"_And why should we trust you? You could just be sent from the City for all we know." Kaito finally spoke directly to him. _

"_This is why." Divine answered, as his body rippled and shifted in front of them, gaining both height and new appendages. Seconds later, they had to raise their heads to see Divine now. _

_A mix of green, orange and white, the white almost making it appear that parts of his skeleton was on the outside now, green-membraned wings, a tail that alternated between orange and green, the face a demonic looking one, devoid of even lips. Yet they sensed no hostility from him. Divine knelt down on his knees, the hands open in a gesture that showed no ill-intent towards them. _

"_As you can see," Divine's voice had deepened, yet was still his. "I am alike to yourselves. So, will you come with me?" _

"_With you?" Haru queried, wariness and distrust still in him, though greatly weakened. _

"_Yes. Come with me, be with the others. Let us make the World accept us. Make them answer for their Crimes towards us. To be able to live our own lives, our own way." _

_Haru and Kaito looked at each other for a moment, a mutual agreement passed through them. In that moment, they decided. Stepping out of the cave they'd sheltered in, shifted into their own draconic forms, placing their own hands into Divine's. Their entry into Arcadia made in that instant. _

Shaking himself out of the past, Haru surveyed the scene before him. So what did these humans matter to him? These were the ones who abused and enslaved those such as himself and his brother. As far as they'd been concerned, these ones had simply received what they deserved. And it would not be too long before reinforcements slipped in, which would permit him and Kaito the chance for real rest again, and not a moment too soon as he fought to stifle a yawn that desired release. Not that he worried himself too much over it, as they would succeed here, they would take the mines and the nearby town.

As long as Divine showed them the way forward, their futures were secure.

So the explosion that shook the chamber definitely came as a surprise to him, the sound telling him it had been either very close, or very large. And he worried for Kaito, as he had been in the tunnels at the time. Yet that same blast had caught the attention of the prisoners, who whispered amongst themselves. Something he had no intent of permitting. A round of ensuring their silence, through knocking out the more talkative ones, which helped to keep the rest in silence.

Once he'd completed it, he noticed that Kaito had yet to return. Concern for his brother grew, and he decided. He would have to exit this chamber to go and see if he was okay.

* * *

Once the echoes had subsided, he brought himself back up to standing. It would've been impossible for his target to have not heard it! What he'd have to wait and see for, is whether the other one would expect the unconscious Dark End to look into it and report back? Or do it him/herself?

'Eit_her way, I'll have to wait right here for the answer._' Jack concluded, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of movement from either direction.

It proved to be a bit of a wait. '_If that other one doesn't turn up soon, I may end up having to deal with the both of them at once._' He thought, impatience grew within Jack. Sooner or later, he'd have to make a move, either to look for Light End, or check on Dark End.

Finally though, that decision ended up being made for him, as he picked up the sound of movement, coming from behind him. With speed, yet care, he slipped his way forwards to that fork he'd passed earlier, where he could wait for his target to approach him.

'_Fast and hard, fast and hard._' No fancy stunts, or showmanship, just a quick and dirty beatdown.

The movement came closer, a noise like shuffling or slithering, Jack noted with a sense of satisfaction. Remaining still, he waited, until the point where the head just came into view.

Taking no chances with this one, his right hand barrelled into the head of Light End, smashing into the side and sending him/her reeling away. Jack continued the assault with blow after blow to the head, refusing to let up even. It was only when Light End collapsed onto the ground that he finally ceased and took a couple of steps back, breathing heavily.

A couple of moments passed, and once his sickness faded again, he checked Light End to make sure he/she wasn't playing possum. The slow rhythmic breathing and lack of response assuring him that this one had been taken care of.

Now though he had one detail to check. Returning to the storage room he'd been in earlier, he reached the door and realised that Dark End had just managed to get back onto his feet, rather clumsily as he noticed Jack within striking distance.

"Wh…where's Haru?" He slurred out, confused, just before taking another head blow that put him back on the ground.

"Don't worry. You'll be seeing him soon enough." Jack replied to the unconscious heap.

Now they'd been taken care of, he needed to call Godwin and let him know that that pair had been taken care of, and that he could bring his men in now. And that meant reaching the Com. Room. A simple enough task since his memorising that map had told him exactly where he needed to go. Returning to where Light End lay, he took the right and kept on this path, not stopping until he reached the door marked 'Com. Room'. Expecting it to be locked, he took care of that by simply forcing it open.

Quickly shifting out of his draconic form, Jack now entered the room, quite a simple setup, just a small group of vid-phones that were still working along with a few other pieces of equipment. He turned one of them on, and called a memorised number on it, receiving a response in short time as Director Godwin's face appeared on the screen.

"It's done. You can bring in the men now. And make sure they have two of 'those' with them when they do."

"Good work, Jack." He replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "A squad had already been dispatched some time ago and they'll be there within the hour. So what exactly did you deal with?"

"One was Dark End Dragon left next to a storage room, the other, Light End, in the passage between the main mining cavern, the storage room and here. All the hostages appeared to be kept in just that one mining cavern I mentioned." Jack supplied the information that Godwin would need.

"Very good work. I take it you weren't seen."

"Not by the hostages, and not by anyone in Crash Town."

"What of 'those two'?" A slight concern from Godwin.

"Just Dark End. And he won't be getting back up for a few hours at least." Jack reassured him.

"That's good to hear. For now, keep an eye on them, then head back after a half hour. The recovery squad will take care of the rest. So where will you need picking up?"

"I slipped in here using the canyon from Crash Town, I intend to leave by its other end." Jack answered him.

"Very well then, I'll have someone waiting for you there. And don't worry, I'll inform Lotten that the mines are safe again." The screen went blank as Godwin terminated the connection.

Jack left the room and walked over to where he'd left Light End, him being closer. Switching form again, as so to be ready just in case they regained consciousness. Thankfully, Light End remained out cold at this time, and so he returned to where Dark End was, noting that he was in the same collapsed heap he'd been in when he'd left him. He went back and forth between them for some time to ensure the stayed that way, before giving each of them one final kick to the head to make certain of the fact prior to leaving them for the squad Godwin had sent to perform the clean-up. Heading back the way he'd entered these tunnels in the first place, it wasn't too long before the outside light could be seen as he reached the exit.

'_Time for me to leave this place._' He decided, the slight hum of helicopter rotors that could be heard telling him why, though he couldn't see them. '_Must be around the mountains then._'

Gauging the distance, he prepped himself and leapt away from the exit, across the chasm and down into the opposing wall, securing his grip almost as soon as he hit it. A quick turn around allowed him to repeat this, and again, before he landed safely on the ground. Switching back again to his human form, Jack now strolled over to his Wheel of Fortune, pleased that as expected, it was where he'd left it. Setting himself in the seat, he powered it up and made his way out of the canyon. Recalling his mission details when he'd first set out, he knew that Godwin would have sent one other chopper to pick him up, and would be where he'd stated he'd leave. Heading in that direction, he skipped the first rise that would let him leave since it didn't look to be that stable, and instead favoured the one ahead where he was certain that he'd be able to see his waiting ride home the moment he left the canyon floor.

He was right. No sooner had he taken the narrow rise out of the canyon, than he was able to see it waiting for him. Gunning the engine, he raced his way towards it as the face of someone he knew came into focus. Mikage. Bringing his D-Wheel to a stop shortly in front of them, he detached his Duel Disc from the handlebar and stepped off and walked towards her.

"So, how did it go?" She asked him.

"As it was always going to." Jack replied. "Now, let's leave."

"We will, once everything's prepared. The others are making sure everything's been done thoroughly." Mikage provided.

"Well we'd better not be too long then." It wasn't always easy, running this type of work, since having absolutely everyone in at least the Neo-Domino Security Forces being in the loop would be, to say the least, rather tricky to handle. Though at least they had enough to always be able to send the right ones in for such recovery operations

In any case, once his D-Wheel was securely latched down, and himself inside, the pilot continued the cover story over the radio, stating that they'd 'resolved' the issues with their engines. Some more conversation passed between the pilot and whoever he was talking to, before turning his head to be heard better.

"Well it looks like they've managed to secure their targets already, so we're good to go!"

"Then let's be off then!" Jack responded.

The pilot complied once he was certain that everyone was on board, bringing the chopper into the air and making his way back to Neo-Domino. While heading back, the adrenaline in Jack wore off and he felt the tiredness from the long hours he'd put in and the beating he'd taken earlier kick in. Well, there was nothing else he needed to be doing, so he closed his eyes and allowed much-needed sleep to arrive.

* * *

**Neo-Domino - Detention Island**

Things were not looking good for Yusei Fudo. '_No Deck, no D-Wheel, no chance at getting out of here anytime soon_.' This is what he thought to himself as he waited in what had been described to him as the 're-education room'. Where they planned to begin a one-on-one 'session' to drill in the established rules and regulations that he was expected to follow.

'_They really are taking their time though._' He couldn't help but wonder just what was taking so long. The few minutes they said they'd be already felt like it had long since passed, though he couldn't be too sure since there wasn't even a clock in this room. He found himself pacing the room restlessly, the lack of anything at all to do getting to him. As such, it was almost with a sense of relief that he stopped when he heard the door open.

**Author's Note: And Jack managed to complete his mission rather successfully, at least as far as Godwin is concerned, just as events for Yusei begin to pick up again. though if it will be something he even remotely welcomes is something he won't be certain of. **

**To clarify a point or two you may have: **

**Dynamite is Nitroglycerin that has been stabilised in Clay, if it sweats, then that means the extremely shock-sensitive liquid can literally blow up in your hand! And could very well take the rest of you with it! **

**If you're unconscious, it is possible for you to wake up at any given moment, so Jack couldn't afford the luxury of assuming that they would remain out cold just for his own convenience, and had to be certain they were staying that way. **

**As always, reviews are welcome! ^_^**


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